This article is written by Ida Carleborn. This is part two of her compelling article about her health journey. Read part 1 here.
In Sweden, over one million people live with some form of autoimmune issue. Over 80 percent of them are women. For many, it starts with symptoms from the gut, which also makes it natural to focus there when we not only want to highlight the problems that cause suffering, but also create the conditions to prevent illness and, in some cases, reverse autoimmune conditions to become symptom-free.
Because the fact that something is “normal” does not mean it is “natural.” Nor that we have to accept it as our future. When it comes to acceptance, we need to accept the present. When we do, we give ourselves the opportunity to choose perspective and thereby focus on what we can influence.
What can we actually influence when it comes to our health?
Between 2013 and 2017, about 12,900 studies were published on the gut microbiota, which corresponds to roughly 80 percent of all research in the field up to that point. At the same time, studies show that our genetics account for only around 20 percent of our destiny, while the remaining 80 percent is influenced by our lifestyle and environment. This means that, to a greater extent than we might like to admit, we have the ability to prevent disease and, even better, optimize our wellbeingnot only our lifespan, but also our quality of life.
We often say that health conditions appear suddenly. Many feel they get sick as soon as they wind down, as if rest itself caused the cold, when in fact its the lack of it that, over time, adds up until illness breaks out.
Listen to the body
We often talk about listening to the body, but if we dont also learn to interpret its signals and understand what precedes them, we miss the opportunity to act differently and thereby create a different result.
It can be subtle signals like brain fog, fatigue, or a bloated belly. When we observe the signals and reflect on what precedes them in terms of feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, we give ourselves the opportunity to track ourselves and thus keep ourselves on track by choosing differently. It might be realizing that we get stuck scrolling on the phone when we should be sleeping. Reflecting on why we picked up the phone in the first place and what price we pay for that behaviorin the form of intimate conversations with a partner, getting enough sleep, or waking up so tired we dont make it to the gym as planned, or end up running for the bus. A seemingly innocent choice where thirty minutes trigger domino effects that can affect sleep, stress, training, relationships, and nutrient absorption.
When we understand the root cause, we can choose to make a conscious choice and thereby create a different outcome. In a similar way, the bodys different parts also affect one another.
In functional medicine, the body is viewed as a whole and the root cause behind symptoms is sought, primarily treating them through lifestyle changes and supplements. Factors such as stress, nutrient status, sleep, movement, and nervous system balance interact.
In 2014 I was diagnosed with Hashimotos
When, in 2014, I was diagnosed with Hashimotos, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the thyroid, it was within functional medicine that I sought the solution. What turned out to be central in my case was gut function, and how what is often described as “leaky gut”an affected intestinal mucosa that allows particles to pass into the bloodcan contribute to inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and hormonal imbalances.
So the place where the symptoms had begun years earlier was also where we would find the solution. What seemed like many different problems stemmed from the same root cause, and by focusing on that root, I created the conditions to eliminate the symptoms. For me, that meant turning guilt and self-pity into responsibility and influencing the 80 percent that studies show we can influence. Not to “try,” but to fully decide and believe that it was not only possiblebut possible for me.
Because it all starts there: in our beliefs, in our mindset, and in what we choose to believe is possible. To weigh the price we pay by not acting against the gains of investing in ourselves through the small daily choices that add up over time and create big effects on our health. Not only to ask what we need to do daily, but who we need to be so it becomes natural to act in line with our goal. Because behavior follows identity, and identity is shaped by what we tell ourselves and built by showing, through our repeated actions, that we are who we say we are.
When you start to see yourself as someone who takes care of their health, the daily choices become a natural extension of that image. Its no longer about trying to do the right thing, but about living in line with who you perceive yourself to be. Thats where the shift happens. The shift that lets you create long-term sustainable change and care for all of you from a place of self-love rather than performance. Where you know why its important to you, and you consistently stand in how you want to feel and create your life. In practice, its rarely about doing more, but about doing a few things that actually make a difference, consistently, over time.
Research can expand our beliefs about whats possible and get us started. But its rarely that we dont know what we need to do; its that we need to do what we already know. To shift from “one day” to “day one.” To notice ourselves reaching for the phone on the nightstand and follow it through to see what price were actually paying.
And perhaps most important of all, to ask ourselves who we want to be instead.
To realize its not about “trying” to fix your gut or your stress, but about stopping the “trying” and instead making a conscious choice. Because even if we cant control the outcome, we can control our actions. To observe, reflect, and act. Because its in those seemingly small daily choices that we have the power to influence our gut health, regulate our nervous system, and make decisions that support our long-term health.
Who do you want to be, and how are you acting today to live in line with that?
Daily routines to optimize gut health
- Avoid processed food, sugar, gluten, and vegetable oils
- Screen-free mornings and evenings (the first two hours in the morning and the last hour in the evening)
- Screen-free meals at regular times
- Warm lemon water before meals; avoid drinking larger amounts with meals
- Stress reduction through sleep, a nutrient-dense diet, movement, meditation, and mental recovery
Diet that helped me heal my gut
- The Autoimmune Protocol and an anti-inflammatory diet
- The right supplements to support the gut lining, the immune system, and digestion
- Homemade bone broth
- Fermented foods like kimchi (Tistelvind is a favorite)
- Dinner at least three hours before bedtime to give the gut a rest
- Celery juice on an empty stomach
Supplements that strengthened my gut health and reduced stress
- Probiotics to support the gut microbiome and the immune system
- Digestive enzymes to support digestion
- L-glutamine to support the gut lining
- Magnesium for sleep, the nervous system, and recovery
- Omega-3 to reduce inflammation
- Zinc for the immune system and gut barrier
- Selenium to support thyroid function
Author: Ida Carleborn
Read more about Ida Carleborn, Founder & CEO of DailyGarboos and The Algorithms Of Life
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